Dear Colleagues! This is Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post #1328 for Pharma Veterans. Pharma Veterans Blogs are published by Asrar Qureshi on its dedicated site https://pharmaveterans.com. Please email to pharmaveterans2017@gmail.com for publishing your contributions here.
Preamble
This blog post is based on a large-scale study published in The Lancet. Link to the article at the end.
The difference between a long life and a healthy life
What is the purpose of living longer if many of those extra years are spent dealing with illness, pain, disability, or dependence on others?
Modern medicine has made remarkable progress in helping people survive diseases and live longer. Yet a troubling question remains: are we adding healthy years to life, or simply adding years in which people live with poor health?
A major study published in The Lancet Public Health in July 2026 offers an important perspective on this question. Titled ‘Global, regional, and national trends in the morbidity gap and contributing diseases, injuries, and risk factors, 1990–2023’, the research analysed health estimates for 204 countries and territories over more than three decades.
The central message is simple: living longer is a worthwhile achievement, but living longer in good health should be the real goal.
What is the “morbidity gap”?
To understand the research, we first need to understand two terms.
Life expectancy refers to the average number of years a person is expected to live under the prevailing mortality conditions.
Healthy life expectancy (HALE) refers to the number of years a person can expect to live in full health, taking the effects of disease and disability into account.
The difference between these two measures is called the morbidity gap. In everyday language, it represents the years a person may spend living with some degree of illness or disability.
For example, if someone is expected to live for 75 years but can expect to spend 63 years in full health, the gap is 12 years.
This does not mean the person will necessarily be severely ill or bedridden for all those years. Poor health exists on a spectrum, ranging from manageable chronic conditions and persistent pain to serious disability.
The distinction matters because a country can improve life expectancy without making equivalent progress in preventing disease or preserving people’s physical and mental abilities. This is precisely the challenge facing much of the world.
The study’s most important findings
The research reveals several important trends.
KEY FINDING 1: 8.8 → 10.7 years
The global morbidity gap widened between 1990 and 2023. On average, people spent almost two additional years of their lives in poor health compared with the earlier period.
KEY FINDING 2: 73.8 years
Global life expectancy reached 73.8 years in 2023, up from 64.6 years in 1990. However, healthy life expectancy rose more slowly, from 55.9 to 63.1 years.
KEY FINDING 3: 14.5% of life
People worldwide spent an average of 14.5% of their lives in poor health in 2023, compared with 13.6% in 1990.
KEY FINDING 4: Women face a larger gap
Across the study’s geographical groupings, women generally lived longer than men but also spent more years living in poor health.
The findings challenge the assumption that rising life expectancy automatically means better health. Medical treatment can prevent premature death while people continue to live with chronic conditions that require years of care.
Which health problems contribute most to years spent in poor health?
The researchers identified several major contributors to the global burden of illness and disability.
Musculoskeletal disorders: These include back pain, joint problems, arthritis, and other conditions affecting muscles, bones, and movement. Such problems may not always be life-threatening, but they can make everyday activities difficult. Walking, climbing stairs, working, sleeping, and caring for family members can become increasingly challenging. For older adults, reduced mobility can also lead to social isolation and loss of independence.
Mental health conditions: Depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions can affect relationships, employment, sleep, concentration, and overall quality of life. Mental health problems are sometimes overlooked because they may not be visible to others. Yet their effects can last for years and can coexist with physical illness.
Hearing loss: Hearing difficulties can interfere with communication, social participation, and independence. They may also contribute to isolation when people withdraw from conversations or group activities. Early identification, appropriate hearing support, and accessible services can help preserve quality of life.
Falls and other unintentional injuries: Falls can cause fractures, long periods of reduced mobility, and loss of confidence, particularly among older people. Prevention requires safer homes and public spaces, appropriate physical activity, assessment of individual risk factors, and timely medical attention.
The study also highlights the contribution of chronic conditions and associated risk factors. The relative importance of particular causes differs between countries and populations, so the global findings should not be assumed to describe Pakistan’s exact disease ranking.&x20;
The broader lesson is that public health must address not only diseases that cause death but also conditions that make everyday life difficult.
Why these findings matter for Pakistan
Pakistan has a particular reason to pay attention to this research. Its healthcare system must address infectious diseases, maternal and child health, malnutrition, and other longstanding priorities while also managing non-communicable diseases and the needs of an ageing population. For many families, illness can mean more than physical suffering. It can involve lost earnings, expensive medicines, repeated hospital visits, and dependence on relatives for everyday care.
The implications are significant in at least four areas.
First, prevention deserves greater attention. Health systems often become visible to people when they need a doctor, hospital admission, or medicine. But many of the conditions that cause years of poor health require attention long before a patient reaches a hospital. High blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, physical inactivity, and tobacco use can contribute to long-term illness. Early identification and appropriate management can help reduce complications. Pakistan needs stronger primary healthcare services that make preventive check-ups, counselling, and continuing care accessible and affordable.
Second, healthy ageing should become a national priority. Living longer is not enough if older people cannot move comfortably, maintain relationships, manage everyday tasks, or access healthcare. As Pakistan’s population ages, families and health services will need to respond to arthritis, hearing loss, falls, chronic diseases, and other conditions that affect independence. Community-based support, rehabilitation services, accessible buildings, and age-friendly public spaces can help older people remain active members of society.
Third, mental health cannot remain neglected. Mental health should be treated as an essential component of overall health, not a luxury to be considered after physical illnesses have been addressed. Greater awareness, early identification, affordable counselling, and appropriate professional services can help people manage mental health difficulties before they become more disabling. Workplaces, educational institutions, and primary healthcare centres can all contribute to reducing stigma and improving access to support.
Fourth, families need support beyond hospital treatment. When a person develops a long-term condition, the consequences often affect the entire household. Family members may have to reduce working hours, provide daily care, or pay for transport, rehabilitation, and medicines. Pakistan’s health planning should therefore consider the full journey of illness—from prevention and diagnosis to treatment, rehabilitation, and continuing support.
Sum Up
The findings published in The Lancet Public Health offer a valuable lesson for countries around the world: progress in extending life must be matched by progress in preventing illness and disability.
Ultimately, the purpose of healthcare is not merely to help people live longer. It is to help them live better for longer.
Concluded.
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For most blogs, I research from several sources which are open to public. Their links are mentioned under references. There is no intent to infringe upon anyone’s copyrights. If, any claim is lodged, it will be acknowledged and duly recognized immediately.
Reference:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(26)00098-8/fulltext
